Geography: Why It Matters

by Alexander B. Murphy

Ever since humans sketched primitive maps in the dirt, the quest to understand our surroundings has been fundamental to our survival. Studying geography revealed that the earth was round, showed our ancestors where to plant crops, and helped them appreciate the diversity of the planet.  Today, the world is changing at an unprecedented pace, as a result of rising sea levels, deforestation, species extinction, rapid urbanization, and mass migration. Modern technologies have brought people from across the globe into contact with each other, with enormous political and cultural consequences. As a subject concerned with how people, environments, and places are organized and interconnected, geography provides a critical window into where things happen, why they happen where they do, and how geographical context influences environmental processes and human affairs.  These perspectives make the study of geography more relevant than ever, yet it remains little understood. In this engrossing book, Alexander B. Murphy explains why geography is so important to the current moment.

Genres: Science, Geography, Nonfiction

140 pages, Paperback

Published December 10, 2018

Reviews

[doris · Rating 1 out of 5]

does geography matter? still unable to tell

[Malcolm Little · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who’s been deeply involved in Geography education and research for almost the past decade, I’ve always struggled with how the field finds it difficult to situate itself in the pantheon of human knowledge. Some years I may be leaning towards defining Geography as a set of specific skills, mainly centered on cartography, data analysis, and GIS technologies. Other years I might have leaned toward a more abstract definition, one based on spaces, places, human groupings, and a diversity of environments.

Thing is, all of my fluctuating definitions can be – and have been by innumerable scholars – argued as the defining characteristics of Geography. The definitions help fetter out the Why of Geography. In a book titled “Geography: Why it Matters”, author Alex Murphy (not of Robocop fame) deftly establishes the What of Geography, before hitting the meat & potatoes of the Why. Certainly the What and the Why are intertwined, thus making his job an exercise in simplicity. But as a geographer myself, our collective struggle to delineate our field seems destined for an eternity of ambiguity.

Murphy, however, does a decent job outlining key areas and approaches where Geography is ideally suited to grasp the complexity of factors influencing particular spaces & places. Indeed, Geography is a jack-of-all-trades profession, one that finds comfort miring itself in the vagaries of multitudinous data. Using erudite examples, Murphy navigates across the planet, exhibiting where a geospatial (and spatiotemporal) approach uncovers facts hitherto unseen by other professions, most of which fixate on aspatial, hyper-idealized theories and models. Knowing how boundaries, edges, diffusion, and spatial correlations operate in human and environmental contexts is the big Why dominating this taut book.

There are some technical explanations as well, but they are too few and far between for my tastes. Certainly, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are discussed, especially their recent surge in popularity and ubiquity. Nevertheless, I would have liked to read more about how Geography theory and practice is central to their effectiveness. Instead, Murphy falls prey to the dismissal of the technologies as something everyone can do; such limited thinking is why governments at multiple levels, plus corporations, have merged GIS with IT. Without a strong foundation of the awareness of spatial principles, we’re plagued with politicians and technologists carrying on the tired, technocratic angle to data management. More emphasis on the importance of core geographic fundamentals would have strengthened Murphy’s arguments. If space was a limitation, some of the nauseating prose lamenting spatial inequalities could have been saved for the sequel.

[erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those short books which I wouldn't think I would pick up, but afterwards am very glad I read. The chapters are concise and direct, with interesting examples and great maps to visualise the topics discussed. Definitely considering geography for university... not sure yet, we'll see.

[erin brannagh · Rating 2 out of 5]

i remain unconvinced that it matters

[Javier Prunell Acosta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grata lectura recorriendo estadísticas

[Evan SP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Objectively a good book on geography. I felt it to become a little repetitive. Read for class.

[elliott joelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

literal death in a book

[Isabelle Axelsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is always something best satisfying in reading an entire book in one sitting. This book did not disappoint. It was short enough to allow me to read and take shorter pauses to think and reflect without taking too much time or dragging on. Even if I didn’t particularly learn anything new, it’s always appreciated to have a condensed volume confirming your knowledge.

I found this book to be a good introduction to geography as an overarching subject. As a human geography student I get fairly tired of having to deflect assumptions that my degree is on maps, so I guess reassurance is always nice. It was a very positive book to read in spite of it at times discussing upsetting situations and important issues; something I really appreciate in a book. I feel like it’s very rare for people to approach situations holistically, something I believe is incredibly important to understand context. So, as much as I can say as someone who was sold on geography prior to reading this book, it really does make a very convincing case for why geography matters. I also thoroughly enjoyed the maps displayed in the book.

BRB, just posting this to a friend to motivate them in pursuing their studies in geography:)

[steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Murphy does a decent job of trying to encapsulate all of the areas of enquiry that make up the study of geography. I found the book interesting and appreciated the way it implores us all to take a more active interest in geography and use this lens to ask different questions about the happenings in our world.

I especially found the parts about the selective nature of cartography thought provoking. To ponder who writes and distributes maps and what agendas are they pushing. What view are they trying to normalise and what are they trying to distract us from?

I also enjoyed thinking about some of the bigger world issues in a more expanded way. Like the example Murphy provides about China’s pollution contributions without drawing any causal relationships with the worlds demand on their production outputs.

Definitely a great introduction to considering why we as a population need to be educated in geographical matters.

[samantha =(^.^)= · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely got me thinking so I think the reviews are a bit unfair. This is clearly not meant for anyone with extensive knowledge on geography, so yes it is very simplistic and repetitive in order to emphasize core ideas. Might it be better suited for high schoolers than college students? Definitely. But the main idea is for the reader to consider one's surroundings and I think it accomplishes that.

[Iván Santaella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Entiendo que es un libro introductorio, pero es que es demasiado simple hasta para eso.

[Nacho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen acercamiento a la importancia de la Geografía (tanto Física como Humana) y con muchas ideas para aplicar en clase, sobre todo para hacer pensar.

[grace bemis]

read for class, im not convinced

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief and interesting introduction to the discipline of geography. Murphy helps the reader understand the discipline's animating questions and approches.

[Brayden Haus · Rating 1 out of 5]

it in fact does not matter